mikef

This is pretty bizarre! http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/busin...herald_business

While is Cancun, I stopped in to Walmart to check out their liquor and their prices were quite good. Their prices are much cheaper than the duty free at the airport. They had an enormous selection of Tequila (which I am not knowledgable about, and need to do some research before I return). They had some interesting rums, I picked up a bottle of El Dorado 5yr for $6/750ml and a bottle of Estelar Anejo (Venezuala) for $5/700ml. I haven't had either of these rums, but the price was right! The cap on the Estelar must not have been fully tightened, because when I got home and unpacked, my clothes have a wonderful (but unexpected!) smell :-) Has anyone tried the Estelar? If the taste is anything like the smell, it will be quite good.

I just returned from the Bahamas where I tried some Appleton Dark (which I haven't seen before and it isn't even listed on the Appleton website). It is almost as dark as Goslings with lots of flavor, I enjoyed it, and it was reasonably priced ($10.25/liter)

If you live anywhere close to Laurel, MD, Corridor Wine is near the intersection of 198 and I95. They have St James Ambre and Extra Old Rhums. I have tried both and wasn't super impressed, but thought I would mention in case you are interested.

I found Prichards at an ABC store in Virginia (near Falls Church).

I picked up a couple of liters while in St Thomas (along with some "worthier" rums). The person packing my purchase asked me how I drank the Blackstrap. When I told him mixed, he gave me a very disgusted look and suggested that I try it on the rocks with a twist of lime (which I haven't done yet).

I just returned from a trip to Cancun. There were some decent rums available in the stores, but I must have been shopping too close to the hotel zone as they were all $30 or more. Since my wife doesn't enjoy Tequila, I tried Ron Anejo Antillano, which is made somewhere in Mexico (approx $9 for a liter). It was okay as a mixer, but didn't have a ton of flavor. I did pick up some Flor de Cana 12 yr old at the airport Duty Free ($15), and they gave me a "free" Flor de Cana baseball cap!

While browsing through the rum selection at a local liquor store yesterday, I saw Cruzan Blackstrap Rum on the shelf. Has anyone heard of this, or tried it? It isn't mentioned on Cruzan's website.

At the DonQ tasting room in Old San Juan, they offer a drink made from DonQ Limon and Cranberry juice, very refreshing on a hot day.

I just returned from St Thomas where I picked up some Mount Gay Extra Old (among other things) and several stores had a promotion to celebrate Mount Gay's 300th anniversary - one bottle of Mount Gay Eclipse free with every two bottles of Extra Old purchased. I have never tried the Eclipse before, but the price was right! They were selling the Tricentennial Rum for $300, I guess the supply is so limited, there is no discounting (unlike the Extra Old which was $13 for 750ml)

Any recommended shops in New York City (Manhattan)? I am here on business and would relish the opportunity to find something new.

I just returned from Puerto Rico yesterday, and it seems that there is a "new" (i.e. higher) tax on liquor than before and the Barillito 3 star I used to get for approx $11.00 is now $16.00! The cheapest place I found was at the Duty Free at the airport ($13.00 for the 3 star, $10.00 for the 2 star), they also had the DonQ Grand Anejo for $38.00 which was cheaper than I saw it anywhere else.

The next time you are in Puerto Rico, pick up some Ron Del Barrilito, it is one of my favorites and a bargain (even in the airport you can get it for less than $15). I haven't been able to find it in the U.S.

Just got back from Aruba. Stopped at the Duty Free kiosk upon arrival in Aruba and picked up a liter of Mt Gay Extra Old for $22 (which lasted us most of our visit). At the Duty Free on the way home picked up (all 750ML) Flor De Cana Centenario $14.80 Flor De Cana Gran Reserva $11.85 Mt Gay Extra Old $15.50 Appleton Estate Extra $14.75 Haven't had an Flor De Cana before, but am looking forward to it based on other members comments. They also had the 5 year old FDC for less than $10. They were selling Zacapa for $46, I am still having a tough time getting past the $30/bottle barrier. Based on the Flor De Cana label, it is imported into the U.S., if so, I have never seen it!

Jason, are you saying to ask at AH Riise for the French Rhum Agricoles? I never noticed any on their shelves, do they have items for sale that are not on display? I might also suggest a store down the street from A H Riise - Caribana (sp?) They had a nice selection of Rums the last time I was there. If you're arriving by plane, when you arrive, stop by the store in airport and pick up a bottle or two to drink while you're there, their prices aren't as cheap as downtown, but are still quite a bit cheaper on a better selection than you can find in the U.S.

I found quite a variety of Rum during my London visit, although what I was interested in was a bit expensive for my tastes (approx $50/bottle!) I did visit Gerry's (thanks to Kikijuro), where they probably had 30 different rums as did another shop just a short distance down Old Compton St. I also visited Cadenhead's in Covent Garden. I did see Havana Club and Matusalem from Cuba at a number of locations, when I mentioned to one of the store owners that I couldn't legally bring back to the USA, he suggested soaking the label off! I guess I will have to wait for my trip to Aruba this summer for my next search.

I am a firm believer that sun and other sources of ultraviolet light are harmful, especially to those products bottled in clear glass. Rum may be less sensitive to UV than beer or wine, however I would be very cautious of buying any bottle that has been sitting on a shelf for a long period of time, especially if it is near a window in direct sunlight!

I would like to thank everyone for their helpful replies. Still a couple of weeks before we go, I will provide a report after my return.

Thanks for the tip. I did a search and found their website, which is kind of neat. http://www.bundabergrum.aust.com/

Whenever I travel, I look for new rums, and since I have a trip to London soon, I am seeking suggestions for what to look for. The last time I was in the UK, I picked up a bottle of Lambs Navy Rum, which I didn't like at first. but it grew on me as I finished the bottle.

There are also tasting notes at Ministry of Rum.com Select 'Rum Profiler', then choose the brand you are interested in

According to Cruzan's website, both rums are blends of rums aged 4 - 12 years. After blending, the Single Barrel is given a final aging in new charred oak barrels. http://www.cruzanrums.com/

Upon arriving in St Thomas we picked up at the airport (for consumption in our hotel); Ron Abuelo Anejo (I liked, but my wife didn't - excellent aroma, smoky flavor) and Ron Barcelo Anejo (we both liked this one). Both were bargains at $8/bottle. While there, I had the opportunity to try the Cruzan Single Barrel (yikes - $25/bottle!) and the Estate Diamond. IMHO, I preferred the Estate Diamond as I like something with more flavor. To bring home, we purchased the following (of which I have tasted only the Cruzan). I am kicking myself for not buying some Barbancourt 15 year old for $20, couldn't justify the price differential of the 5 star (maybe next time). For those of you who have traveled to the Caribbean, which islands offer the best selection of rums for purchase? Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva ($15) Barbancourt 5 Star ($9) Brugal Extra Viejo ($8) Ron Barcelo Gran Anejo ($10) Appleton Estate Extra ($15) Mount Gay Extra Old ($14) Cruzan Estate Diamond ($12)

The color is gold (you can't tell until you open it because the entire bottle is covered with an opaque wrapping). It isn't what I would call sweet, the taste is hard to describe.

Has anyone else tried this? It apparently got good reviews at this years Rumfest, and it was only $14 at a local store so I tried it last night. Contrary to it's name, it is NOT a dark rum. When you open the bottle, there is a distinct odor of butterscotch and the rum also has a buttery taste (which I don't personally find appealing).